


Views Change on the Horizon

by Grapehuevos



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 2020 and still angsting over the ending 4 years later, Angst, BAMF Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), BAMF Merlin (Merlin), F/M, Growing Up, Growing Up Together, Kid Fic, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merthur - Freeform, Sexual Content, Teenagers, Underage Drinking, both are kids at beginning, bxb - Freeform, later on, tagging is hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:15:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27449242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grapehuevos/pseuds/Grapehuevos
Summary: Merlin and Arthur are eight at the beginningThis is their story if they met and became friends/play buddies at a early age. Future romantic themes. MerthurI remember reading a story with the same plot but I forget the name so this idea came from that. This is hopefully a lot different, though.
Relationships: Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I hope you enjoy. First fic and I don’t really know how to post on here, sooooo. 
> 
> Anyways comment pointers if you think my writing can improve. This is a learning experience while also getting my ideas out on paper for me, I’m still in school.

“Merlin!”

“Yes Mother?” Merlin recounted everything he’s done the past few days. Nothing to be concerned about besides a little tuffle with Ovil. He doesn’t know why his mother sounds so ruffled. 

“Where were you this evening; I thought I told you to pick weeds out in the garden?” She calmly stated. Oh, well that’s also something that could get him in trouble. 

Instead of picking the weeds, he went off to the woods with Will, showing him how he could shape water into bunnies. Merlin couldn’t tell her that, though. She would probably faint. Merlin didn’t want that, fainting is associated with bad health. 

“Me and Will were playing Hide-and-Seek; I won.” He puffed out his chest so his lie looked more believable. It seemed to work. 

Hunith shook her head fondly and said, “it’s good you’re playing with friends, but do it now or the crops will have more trouble growing.” She patted his head as she left, probably walking to Helen’s house next door. They seemed to get on pretty well. Too bad her son’s a cock. New word - Will taught him of course, and he liked it. It was vulgar and tumbled out of his mouth smoothly.

“It’s not to be used around adults,” Will said, pacing with the arrogance of a person who knows something you don’t. “It’s a bad word, but we aren’t children no more, Merlin, we are mature so we can use mature words!” And with that he stopped in front of Merlin, proudly placing his hand on his hips. It seemed as though he gave a kingly speech, and not a speech about cuss words. 

“So then why can’t we use them if we’re already mature?” 

Will floundered for an answer, “because, Merlin, we just can’t!!” Nice one, Will. 

Merlin just rolled his eyes  
—

“Prince Arthur!” The royal prince, that Arthur. 

Said prince was currently in Maths; he was learning the important lessons of addition and subtraction. Important in the sense he will need to use it for future political things, whatever they were. 

One of his father’s men barged in the small classroom. He was tall with black hair, buff and strong; a perfect image of a knight. 

“My prince, The King would like to see you right away.” He bowed slightly to Arthur before stepping to the side- raising his arm to the door in a come forth, my lord, this way gesture. Of course I know where the bloody door is, Arthur thought. 

On the way there, he noticed the usual things; peasants bowing/curtsying, saying their Prince Arthur, Bless the prince mottos. The slight frowns and sad glances were new.

Prince Arthur wasn’t just trained in Maths, he was trained in identifying when people were pleased or not. It was beneficial for a lot of important things, he was sure. One of them was seeing the moods of the people. Did Father pass a law that was not-good? He thought about that some more- no of course not, Father would never do anything not-good for the people. Arthur thought his father a saint.

When the short walk from classroom to throne room ended, Arthur strutted inside with the maximum amount of arrogance an eight year old can have. 

“Arthur! Good you’re here.” Uther clapped his hand once to say finally and then steered his son to the balcony. 

“Today’s a very important day, Arthur. You better listen and learn, I won’t be having any messing around.” When have I ever joked in front of you. Arthur loved his father, but he really couldn’t picture himself joking around with him. 

“Yes, Father.” He said obediently. He observed what was in the courtyard; a man was on his knees in front of a wooden basket. There was also a man with his face covered- holding something too far away to see- standing next to him. 

King Uther only nodded and straightened, looking royal. “My subjects! This man”- he pointed to the gangly man with long, oily hair. Overall, Arthur didn’t think he looked very intimidating. “Is charged with sorcery!” Arthur looked at his father. He's never heard a word sound so- despised. King Uther spit out ‘sorcery’ like poisoned wine. 

Arthur’s stomach twisted with a feeling he didn’t know the word to. 

Whispers broke out in the crowd surrounding the stage. He vaguely knew what this was about, he’s heard about sorcery. Passing words; ‘evil, devils work, beastly nature, corrupting’. He didn’t know all those words, he would have to ask Teacher later. It seemed important. 

“The punishment for sorcery is death!” The crowd didn’t have a reaction, as though they weren’t surprised. Arthur did. 

Death. Something only talked about in books. He knew about it; it’s when someone goes away forever. It went deeper than that, though. He spaced out during that part of the lesson. Gone forever? That doesn’t sound very appealing; Camelot is the best. 

The man at the block also had a reaction. 

“Please, Your Majesty! Spare me, spare me please, this lowly servant is begging you, please!” He was sobbing uncontrollably while shaking his head and repeating ‘please’ over and over. 

He must love Camelot very much. Arthur didn’t know why but the bad feeling in his stomach worsened, his throat tingling. 

Arthur felt distressed. This man was begging for his life and his father looked disgusted, disgusted! No matter the cause, no one deserves death, surely? That’s what the books said. Then why is father doing nothing? He’s just standing there! 

Uther then raised his hand and the sorcerer seemed to sob louder. He sobbed guttural cries, the cries of a man about to die. He was about to die. It occurred to Arthur he didn’t get the whole definition of death. 

Arthur felt light with panic and nausea. He was looking at a man abo- 

WACK  
.  
.  
.

With the signal of The King’s hand cutting the air downwards. The man with the hood brought down his axe- beheading the sorcerer. Blood squirted upwards, casting a beautiful fountain of red, before his body dropped. Lifeless. The head disappearing into the basket. 

“He’s dead.” Arthur whispered, staring blankly at the fresh body. Death had a new meaning to Arthur. Dead didn’t just mean leaving Camelot; it meant leaving everywhere. Arthur could not believe he forgot something so important. 

“That he is, my son.” Uther smiled. 

Arthur threw up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunith and Merlin encounter a little flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter, I think I fixed the amount of chapter details. There’s gonna be more if it isn’t fixed.

It wasn’t supposed to happen. He tried to stop it. He didn’t mean to. Mother wasn’t supposed to get hurt. 

Merlin felt wet, angry tears stream down his face, mixing with the dust. 

“It’s not your fault, sweetie, stop crying- shhh.” Even on the ground with a broken arm, burns and blood framing her face, Hunith looked after Merlin as a priority. Merlin felt shame for the first time in his life. 

“I’m sorry, Mother! I didn’t mean to I-I” Merlin shook with his hiccuping cries. Hunith only stroked his hair and smiled.   
...

It was sudden with no warning. Merlin wanted to get out of Ealdor, and with his personality- he told his mother exactly that. There was only a pause on her answer before she agreed. 

“Growing boys shouldn’t be cooped up.” She explained. Merlin beamed and did three days worth of chores in his excitement, Magic may or might have not been involved. Will sulked for the rest of the day before he grumpily said goodbye and hugged him; merlin liked his hugs. 

They indeed explored. Merlin had so much new scenery his head spun. They were two days into their journey- fairly close to Camelot, which Merlin didn’t even want to think about- and that’s when the incident happened. 

They were sitting at a campfire, only the Whos of owls and chirps of crickets keeping them company. 

Merlin remembered a sickly feeling pooling in his stomach. He was about to tell his mother before the campfire jumped to great heights. It roared and singed with something he was familiar with. Magic. He could taste it in the air. 

A lick of fear touched his heart before he shook it off. He could take it, his magic was not weak. 

His own magic soared in response with this violent thing. It was at the top of his throat, his veins. Merlin could feel it swirl in the grooves of his fingertips. He wanted to squish the flame to smoke, it’d be at the twist of his wrist. Such weak will- this thing was a beginner. 

Even a beginner could do damage, though. 

The flame reached for the closest being- that being his mother. It opened like an alcove, it's height as tall as Merlin’s house. He felt his eyes burn by the waves of heat and Magic it was releasing. The whole clearing was lit up and tinged with yellow. 

It’s going to swallow Mother. Thrumming panic shook his bones. He had to do something. Merlin repeated squish it! In his mind repeatedly, pulling out everything he had to get that thing away. 

The flames singed Hunith’s hair, her eyes widened in fright, (merlin will never forget that look) before the middle of the flame split in half, stopping it from moving. Time seemed to follow it, the trees stopped shaking, the air stopped humming, crickets stopped chirping. All was still for a beat of his heart. 

Then the loudest noise merlin could only explain as a BOOM burst his eardrums. Strong wind sang as it passed him, messing up his hair and covering him in dust. 

The sand, dirt, and wood splinters cut up his open-sleeved arms and face. Merlin could only squeeze his eyes shut, shielding his face as much as he could with his hands. 

He hesitantly lowered his arms when the wind slowed to a stop. It was dark, no more flames. That’s a good sign? 

“Mother?!” Merlin stood up on his shaky legs, adrenaline drumming steadily in his blood. His ears were ringing and outside sounds were muffled- panic making his chest light. 

A cough that sounded too wet for his liking came from the right- farther than it was supposed to. 

The grass crunched as he ran over to her. Merlin was sure that if they had light, the grass would be either dry tan or ash. 

“I’m ok Merlin, don’t come over here!” She said, her voice scratchy and rough. He didn’t hesitate to disobey. 

When he dropped to his knees and lit up a hovering small ball of blue light in his hand, his heart dropped to the tops of his toes. He trembled before bursting in tears. 

“Mother! You’re burned!”   
...

And that’s how we got here. A crying child with his injured mother trying to sooth him. 

“Merlin, it’s alright- I’ll be ok.” She soothed, stroking his hand clutching at her skirt. 

“But- it’s my fault mother I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to; it just came out, I-I” he continued to ramble, tears lessening but not letting up. 

If he hadn’t used magic, if he had been calm. “Merlin, it’s not your fault; it’s the flames' fault. Without you I would’ve been dead- not burnt.” She said. 

That was… true, but she wouldn’t even have burns if he had just- “Merlin, listen to your mother.” She looked Merlin head on to emphasize her point. “And.. I think I need care, Merlin. I don’t know the side effects of burns.” With that she attempted to sit up. 

Before she could she let out a choked cry and fell back down. 

“Mother! What’s wrong?!” Merlin looked her over, realizing that she could be hurt in other places besides the obvious burns.

As he got to her arm, he observed that the angle was slightly off. Her elbow was crooked to the left, slightly. 

“Mother, your elbow is not looking like it was yesterday!” He worried. 

Hunith looked at it, grim, and said “Merlin I think we’re going to have to make another trip.” Trip? “The closest option is camelot.” 

Camelot. Merlin heard about that place. It was a kingdom with fancy people and so much food. There were banquets with pork and apples. And pie. 

But Magic was also banned by death. So, Merlin can safely say he did not want to go. Even if they did have pie. 

“Mother, i-is there any other villages nearby?” He really didn’t want to go. If one person accused or saw him do magic he was done for. Plus his mother would die with him on suspicion. That was a complete no. 

“I'm afraid not, Merlin.” She gave him a smile, which soon slipped off her face. 

“Merlin, don't ever use magic there. I don’t care if it’s something small or for the greater good. I will not lose you, especially to Uther.” She grabbed his cheeks tighter, “do you understand?” He didn’t know who Uther was, but he wasn’t dumb enough to think he was an ally. 

Merlin squirmed at the tight grip, but said “yes mother.” 

She let go with an apologetic smile “Good lad.”


End file.
